Truck door



`June 21, 1955 1 M, FALK ET'AL 2,711,343

TRUCK DOOR Filed sept. 6, 1952 2 sheets-shawl June 21, 1955 J. M. FALK ET AL TRUCK DOOR Filed Sept. 6, 1952 Sheets-Sheet, 2

.a r ...0. n e D n 3 United States Patent Oliice v Patented June ,i221 19755 Another object of the invention is to provide a door of,

this type which can be easily operated fromV the ground,

the door being balanced in such fashion that spring means tends to keep it in open or closed position.

A further object of the invention is to produce a door construction of strong, durable and inexpensive design, in which the operating parts are readily accessible without requiring the dismantling of any part of the truck. i

With the general objects named in view and others as will hereinafter appear, the invention yconsists in certain new and useful features of construction and organization of parts as hereinafter described and claimed; and in order that it may be fully understood, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a perspective view of a truck chassis provided with a door involving the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmental end view of the truck cornpartment showing the door in closed position in full lines and in partially open and open positions in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the door in balanced position as it moves between fully open and fully closed relationship to the compartment.

Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV of Figure 2 to illustrate the locking mechanism.

Figure 5 is a front view of the door locking mechanism to illustrate parts hidden in the other figures.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, where like reference characters identify corresponding parts in all iigures, 1 is a truck chassis equipped with four compart ments having doors 2 involving the invention, two of said compartments being accessible from each side ofthe truck. If desired each compartment can be divided by partitions 4, left free or otherwise divided as desired.

In order to provide for the overhead mounting of the door above the top or roof when open, each door 2 is provided with edge extensions beyond the top and side edges of the door, these extensions for convenience and to assist in making a weather tight door, preferably comprising angle flanges 5.

The door pivots comprise a pairof straps or arms 6 respectively pivoted at their opposite ends to the edge extensions of the door 5 and to the end supports or reinforcements 7 for the ends of the compartment.

The front edge of the roof of the compartment is preferably reinforced with a channel 8 or the like, and the top edge of the door has an extension member 9. Pivoted to the member 9 at one end and to a pair of arms 10 carried by a reinforcement 11 running longitudinally of the roof, are a second pair of door pivot arms 12.

To assist in swinging the door and to hold vsame in open or closed position, are a pair of rods 13 pivoted eccentrically of arms 12, to the roof of the compartment. Said arms have their free ends reciprocating through a channel or abutment member 14 connecting the arms together. Carried by said rods 13 are expansion springs 15 which are compressed between the abutment and the pivot to pass center as the door swings between open and closed positions.

In opening the door the operator grasps the handle 16 and throws the door upwardly, the balance of the door being such that this operation will compress the springs past center and the door will move to fully open position above and substantially paralleling the roof. When the door 1s to be closed it is pulled downwardly `by Vchain 17 until the Vsprings pass center. v

In order to lock the door in closed position, aseries of bracket arms 18 project downwardlyfrom the bottom of the compartment, andvact as bearings for a rod 19 running longitudinally of .the .truck body. Pinned to the ends of said rod are a pair of lock arms 20 carrying lock pins 22 projecting inwardly as shown in Figure 5. VTher pins are adapted Vto engage notches 23 ,inlatch plates 24 carried by the door flanges 5. The latches are urged toward locking position by a spring 25' which normally holds said latches against the stop 26. 4Wh'enthe door is to be opened the operator grasps the handle 27 which is pinned to shaft rod 19 and lby pulling outwardly' overcomes lthe i spring 25 Yand unlatches the door.

From the above description andy drawings 'it will be'apparent thatwe have produced a construction embodying all of the features of advantage set forth Vas desirable;

and while we have described and illustratedV the preferredV embodiment we reserve the right to allchanges within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. In a compartment having end supports and a roof, of

a door forclosing the side of said compartment and having at least a portion of its top and side edges extending above the roof and beyond the end supports, a pair of arms having their opposite ends `respectively pivoted to the door side extensions and to the V'compartment end supports, a roof pivot arm having its opposite endspivoted to the top door extension and to theroof and having-'an abutment, a guide arm pivoted to the roof andreciprocating through the abutment, and an expansion vspring on the rod and compressed between the guide arm pivot and abutment.

2.' In acompartment having end supports and arroof, of a door for havingat least a portionof its `top and side edges extending above the roof andbeyond the end supports, a' pair of arms having their opposite endsrespectively pivoted to the door side extensions and to the compartment end sup-1V v ports,.a pair of roof pivot arms having their opposite ends respectively pivoted tothetop door extension and to the roof, a cross bar connecting said arms, a guide arm pivoted to the roof and reciprocating through the cross bar, andan expansionspring carried by the rod andk compressed between the cross bar and rod'pivot. y

3. In a compartment having end vsupports andv a roof, of a door for closing the side of said compartment, a pair of arms having their opposite ends respectively-pivoted to the exterior of the end supports and to the exterior side Vedges. of the door, posite ends respectively pivoted to the exterior edge of the top of the door and to the exterior of the roof, spring abutments, one carried by each of said second pair of arms and anothermounted in pivoted relation to the roof adjacent the roof\pivots of eachof said second pair of arms, and a springcompressed"betweensaid abutments, the arcuate swingingmovement of thefsecond pair of arms shifting the arm abutment Apastvcenter in'relation to ,the roof abutment to kurgethe door toy open andV closed positions respectively.' i'

References Cited in the le of this patent i UNITED STATES PATENTS Y MCkIlZe Apjl'. 26, 1932 Barnby '.rg i 'Iulyj24`, 1934 Sanmori v May,1,'1951 FOREIGNL PATENTS closing the side of said'eompartment ,andl

a second pair of arms having their opy canada Y Y 11113124, 1951 

